2014 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance gives the best view in town

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2014 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance

Situated on rolling hills right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, the Monterey Peninsula in California might be one of the most picturesque areas in the United States, but when the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and its related events arrive each year, they bring along a plethora of million-dollar cars that make the view just that much better. You don't have to be a DuPont or a Vanderbilt to check out these amazing automobiles, though, especially if you're an early bird.

The Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance starts early Thursday morning is one of the first big events of this automotive celebration, and it might actually be the weekend's best-kept secret, especially since it's completely free. The event brings together a pack of ultra-rare vintage cars to wind through Northern California's scenic, ocean-side roads as well as a jaunt to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and a display in the quaint town of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The greatest part of this gathering is that, before setting off at around 8:00 AM, these vintage classics are all lined up for anyone to check out, and the crowds are fairly light. There are rare Ferraris, Maseratis, Bentleys and practically every other exotic brand just sitting there to walk up to and check out. Plus, you actually get to hear them start up and drive away.

As the vehicles complete their tour through the misty morning air, people set up chairs in Carmel to watch these classics go on display on the boulevard. Where else can you go to get the opportunity to smell a steam car's slightly sweet exhaust and then see a bunch of vintage Rolls-Royces roll in within just minutes of each other? Autoblog's Drew Phillips was on hand to snap photos of the fantastic vehicles on tour; take a look at the gallery.

2014 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance gives the best view in town originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance

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2013 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance

There's a way to access the ultra-ritzy Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance that doesn't involve spending $275 on a ticket. It's called the Tour d'Elegance, and it's arguably a better time than the actual show itself.

Scheduled on the Thursday before the Concours, the Tour sees the cars of the show on parade, retracing portions of 17 Mile Drive and other historic, NorCal roads. That means that not only will spectators get to see the super-exclusive cars, they'll get to hear them, too. The Tour d'Elegance remains the very best way for the general public to see some of the finest vehicles ever made, in their natural environment - on-road.

This year's tour, which took place yesterday, saw participants run from Collins Field, along some of California's scenic roads and out to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca before stopping in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The cars spent some time displayed on Ocean Avenue in Carmel, before returning to Pebble Beach. Naturally, the whole affair ended with a champagne toast.

Ace photographer Drew Phillips was staked out on both 17 Mile Drive and the PCH to get photos of all the historic machinery. Be sure to hop into the gallery and have a look.

2013 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Aug 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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